When I walked into my freshman dorm room, I had so many expectations. I had watched every YouTube video, read every article, and created a huge Pinterest board filled with advice to incoming college freshman. I knew that I would make so many new friends, that I needed to remember to bring shower shoes. I had my dorm designed, and was prepared to live with a stranger for 8 months. But there were so many unexpected things that occurred during my freshman year that no amount of advice columns and YouTube gurus could prepare me for.
1. You'll miss home...A LOT.
The day my parents dropped me off at school was the loneliest night of my life. I went to dinner with strangers, I FaceTimed my best friend from home, and I sat in a foreign room with a (then) stranger five feet away from me. I always knew I would miss home, but never in my life did I imagine that it would be this bad.
2. You can last a long time on $5.
Trust me, once you start getting to the middle of the semester, or the end of your paycheck, you learn how to be creative with your funds. Honestly? The days I explored and managed to not spend any money ended up being my favorite days. (Pro Tip: hit the beach, a park, or just explore your new home!)
3. Top Ramen isn't so bad.
No, it's not sushi or a really good steak, but it's one of the best options when it comes to late-night snackage or the cafeteria just isn't cutting it. Just make sure you have lots of water on hand.
4. You adapt to your new life very quickly.
It shocked me just how easy it was to get myself into a simple routine. Every morning I would go breakfast at the same time, I do the same things in between my classes, and go out to dinner with friends at the same time every day. And honestly? I love it.
5. Things aren't as big of a deal as they seem.
In high school, the smallest drama would feel like some sort of life-altering conflict, but once I got to college everything got put into perspective. But I guess freaking out about your career path does that to a person.
6. Never take an 8 a.m. class if you can help it.
Just don't, your well-rested self will thank me later.
7. Friendships don't always happen like you want them to.
Here's the reality: 80 percent of friendships from college don't last. And that's totally fine, even if you try to make an effort, everyone grows up in different ways. College friendships are the same way; I came in with expectations that the people I met on the first day of orientation were the people I would spend the rest of my four years with, and to some extent it is, but friend groups change and adjust, and that's perfectly okay.
8. Alone time is a necessity.
There's a stereotype that the college freshman needs to always be doing something with a large group of people. But sometimes, to stay sane, you need to find a time in your week (or day) to sit in silence and solitude -- whether that's journaling in a coffee shop, going on a photography adventure at the beach, or binge-watching "How to Get Away with Murder" in your dorm room.
9. Sometimes, not sleeping is worth it.
There will be opportunities where you will have the option to engage in a life-changing conversation with someone until 5 a.m. Take it. Those conversations have proven to be the foundation of my deepest, longest-lasting friendships in college.
10. College is not the end of the road.
When I thought about college, I thought about it as being the beginning of the end. It was the foundation that would lead me to some mundane job that I would be forced to have for the rest of my life. Pleasantly, that is not the case. I have learned that we will always be learning, and the career path I choose for me now, doesn't have to be the one that I stick with the rest of my life. So soak it in, work hard, and enjoy.
